New Forum Idea...

R

RobertHankins

Joined
Jun 10, 2001
Messages
1,385
Yea I know your saying "Oh great Hankins is thinking again"

I have been pondering this for some time and think it may have merit.

What about a Forum that allows Makers to post pics anonymously and people can comment on them anonymously...what do you think?

This is not for the timid for sure...but it would be a great way to get serious feedback on your work. You see over and over knives posted that are great and some that are not. But seldom do people really open up their opinions for fear of ridicule.

Maybe name it "Check your Ego at the door forum"

We would have to put up with some dimwits comments but the trade off is getting down to the nitty gritty of how people see your work.
I know we have "Whine and cheese" but that is a different animal in my opinion;)
 
What the hell, I'm always open for an honest opinion. Alot of times people comment when they like a knife, not when they don't.
 
I think that has a lot of merit. Personally, I'm in the camp J described, if I don't like it I keep my mouth shut. But when I make one I don't think is up to par, you guys never know. :D

Dave
 
Dunno. The idea sounds good but could leave so much room to trolls that in the end it would lose any utility. Personally I'm very open with my opinions on other people knives, and don't need anybody tell me the blades I've done up to now are such crap that they would be rejected by a junkyard as "damaging to the establishment good name", as I know it already :D
I've no fear about telling great knifemakers and bladesmith: "you messed up this" or "great work!" or "very well made but I don't like it" or "nice homework, technically perfect but, sorry, no soul", which is incidentally my opinion on most of Steve Johnson and Ron Lake work but, then, I'm just a starting collector and obviously don't have the fine taste needed to appreciate such perfect work (if you think there's some irony in this it's your impression, I deny it strongly) :D
 
I'm my own worst critic. If you point out 10 things you don't like about my knives, I bet I can show you 10 more!!!
 
I agree I would see Trolls as a problem. Would be challenging to sort thru the BS and get to usefull information.
Personally I think it would work and would attract alot more makers over time.
 
I think there'd be lots of problems with trolls, but I still think it can be a godo thing.

That being said, i also agree that no one is gonna be any more critical of my knives than I am. not possible.
 
Well, we could sit here discussing about how many trolls per hour it will attract and do nothing, or we can just try and see how it works :D
After all it's a damn interesting idea and it shouldn't cost too much give it a try, isn't it?
:D
 
Given how thin skinned everyone is on the Internet, I'm not going to even consider this idea. Sorry. If you want criticism on your knives, post a thread on it but I'm not opening a forum where people can intentionally rag on each other's knives.
 
I think that the concept is sound.

The issue of trolls is to some degree a culture thing. I have never really seen much evidence of trolls in this forum. That is why I am still here.

I do think that the technology that we have available at this time will prevent this concept from working as it should. I have seen pictures that have hidden, intentionally or unintentionally, some flaws. I have also seen some pictures, even some great pictures, that did not do justice to how great the piece looked when seen in the flesh. Issues like balance and feel in the hand would not be transmitted at all.

Years ago, Bell Canada had ads based on the line "get the long distance feeling". It wasn't the same talking to my girlfriend on the phone as having her there in the same room with me ;)

Phil
 
would it be possible to only allow certain members to post on this forum? Just the knifemaker, and premium, gold and dealer members could post on it maybe, but everyone could read it. That would almost certainly get rid of trolls. I would really be interested in this idea. Good thinking Robert, I hope we can get it to work, come one Spark, could you maybe just think it over for a while?
Kyle Fuglesten
 
Somebody will have to be in charge of getting things started. You don't need a seperate forum at all.

We just need a public profile for people to log in as, post the name and password at the top of the forum. Anyone that wants to post a knife anonymously, logs in as MAKER X or whatever the profile is, and posts their knife in a thread in this forum, then log out. Follow your thread and see what people have to say.

DON'T just start making up a new profile everytime, that could cause problems for spark. Somebody needs to set up the profile and get it stuck as a bulletin in this forum for awhile till it catches on.
 
How about doing it like this example; Robert you send me a pic of the knife you want to post, I'll post it without tell anyone who made it. An we can ask for opinions and guess the maker.
 
Guys looks like Spark will put the Kabash on this thing.
George you may have a viable solution, let expound on that idea!
 
I think in all of my posts, I've only made one comment that could be considered a negative comment on a maker's knife. A maker (no names here) posted a knife requesting honest opinions of his work. I said that it "looked a little rough". I got flack from some people about how could I say something like that? The maker finally posted and agreed his work was a little rough around the edges, and it wasn't just the picture. Now, I don't mind shaking it up a little bit and pissing off some people, (after all I am a card carrying Bastid), but from that point on if I didn't have something nice to say I didn't say nothing at all. Besides all I could comment on would be my personal opinion on a given knife, and who cares what I think?
 
Robert-

I can totally appreciate your idea and understand the desire.

BUT, the guys that really know enough and are good enough to point out what would need to be improved would most likely never say a word.

If a guy REALLY wants to know, then he should go to a show and enter the competitions. Whether you win or lose, go to the judges and ask for honest opinions on what they see.

I asked about as many makers as I could in Atlanta to critique my work. Guys like Greg Neely were very honest when he saw the sincerety in my request for a SERIOUS evaluation. They pointed out everything they saw.

I once looked at a forum of Tai Goo's that was the very thing you're talking about, and I don't think it worked at all...because there were people hacking others just because they didn't like a design, or color, or whatever.

I mean, to me, there are things I feel like: a forged knife should have a dropped edge, a bowie shouldn't be hollow ground, turquoise can make a knife look cheap like nothing else... but those are just my opinions, and not neccessary to anyone other than myself.

Also, I think to really give a person an honest opinion you have to have the knife in hand.

So I think a guy just has to post his picture and ask for a bare bones opinion on whatever he's in question about with his work.

Nick
 
PSO has a very good point but, unfortunately, alot of us are so spread out the only way we can see each others work is through pictures. I think George has the right idea. Anytime someone has the need for an honest evaluation send your picture to another forum user you know and let them post it as an anonymous maker. Honestly, there already are alot of seperate sub-forums on this site.

I still think it's a great idea, Rob!
If I didn't like criticism I wouldn't let Tess tear every knife down to the bone and still love her.
 
Spark,
I totally agree with you.

Paul (pso),
I agree with what you said about not having trolls here on this forum. Best I remember, Darrel or I have not had to lock but 3 or 4 threads since we started. I don't think any of them had to do with trolls.

Nick said it best. Thanks, Nick

Robert,
I can understand where you are coming from but I just don't think it would work. At best, we could identify a few makers that are trusted for their sound judgments and the guy could email a picture to them for feedback.

There is also the problem of posting pictures of those that aren't allowed to post pictures.
 
i dont let flies, maggots, or bottom feeders dictate my life, its easy to spot them for what they are. :D i do lean to just posting with my name and pic and asking well?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top